Hey there, viewers! We all know we need a good night’s sleep to stay healthy.
There are a number of things affecting our sleep quality. These include drinking wine
and caffeine too close to bedtime, or looking at our phone screens.
But did you know there are less obvious factors hurting your sleep? In today’s video,
we’ll be talking about surprising things that can affect your sleep. Can your partner’s sleep
cycle mess with yours? Should your pet share a bed with you? We’ll be talking about all of
these AND more… (Pause)
Your partner’s sleep cycle You may be an early riser, but
your partner could be a night owl. This difference can end up ruining how much rest you actually get.
Even when one of you is a night owl, you still want to go to bed at the same time.
This is important for a couple as they need that private time together. Cuddles are one of the
best ways to unwind from the stresses of the day. But even though the night owl goes to bed at the
same time, they may not be able to fall asleep immediately. They either fidget in the bed,
or end up using their phone while they wait for sleep to come. When the early sleeper rises,
they end up disturbing the partner who could only fall asleep much later.
Trying to fight the body clock only ends in frustration and cases of insomnia. Instead,
you should work out a system where the night owl can leave the room when the early bird is
ready to fall asleep. Using sleeping masks and earplugs can help you make sure there are no
disruptions to your sleep. This benefits both the night owl and the early riser.
(Pause) Your furry friend
If you have a dog or a cat as a pet, you might be sharing your bed with them. It’s
common to see pets on the bed with their owners, as they give comfort and security.
But they could also be affecting your sleep. One of the downsides of having pets on your
bed is the hair they shed. If you’re allergic to this hair, it could affect how you sleep at night.
Your pet is also not going to lay still the whole time. Typically, they’ll sleep for a
couple of hours before deciding they’ve had enough rest. For the remainder of the time,
they’ll just keep moving, stopping you from getting the proper sleep.
Pets also make noises during their sleep. This can also be a cause for distress,
and get in the way of you falling asleep yourself.
Try having your pet sleep in your room, but not on your bed.
If you really want your pet to be on the same bed, you should consider getting a bigger mattress.
(Pause) Not enough light
If you’re staying indoors the entire day, and have little to no exposure to light, it might affect
your sleep. This is because your circadian rhythm goes out of whack when it doesn’t perceive light.
The result is your internal biological clock not knowing when it’s time to sleep.
When there’s sunlight in your eyes, it goes past your melatonin and keeps you awake. Melatonin
is released once it starts to get darker. Higher melatonin can help you sleep quicker.
But when there’s not enough exposure to sunlight during the day, it can cause confusion.
Your body will not react to the melatonin levels. You’ll find it harder to fall asleep,
giving you less than the optimal rest time. You should make sunlight exposure part of your
morning routine. Something as simple as eating your breakfast near a window can be enough.
At the same time, you should try to avoid bright lights during the evening.
This only confuses your body. As a result, it won’t produce
the required levels of melatonin. In the end, you won’t get enough sleep.
(Pause) Working out before bedtime
Exercising regularly is important for your overall health. But it’s also important to
make sure you do your workouts long before bedtime. If you exercise too close to bed,
you may not be able to fall asleep. Research suggests when you do rigorous
workouts before going to bed, you end up with a disturbed sleep pattern. The
minimum gap you should have between your workout session and bedtime is one hour.
High-intensity exercises stimulate your nervous system and increase your heart rate.
This raises your core body temperature. Your body will find it difficult to relax and fall asleep.
It would also be beneficial if you chose exercises that were less intense. These can include yoga or
brisk walking. If you must do high-intensity exercises, it would be best to do them during
the daytime. (Pause)
Extreme room temperatures An ideal room temperature is
also important for a good night’s sleep. But more often than not, we ignore this.
Our bedrooms are either too hot or too cold. If the room temperature is too high, it raises
your core body temperature. The increase in body temperature does not allow you to fall asleep.
The ideal room temperature to sleep would be around 65°F. When you go to sleep,
your body temperature also cools down. If the room temperature is too hot,
your body doesn’t settle down to relax. The same is the case when the room is too cold.
Your body will not be able to adjust to the colder climate, and you'll have trouble falling asleep.
(Pause) Non-relaxing activities on bed
The bed you sleep on should only be used for relaxing and cuddling with your partner.
If you’re using it for activities that keep you up all the time, you won’t be getting a good sleep.
A lot of people working from home do their work assignments from their bed.
It’s just a comfortable place to be during the day. The problem is that your mind also
associates your bed with stress from work. This creates a mental conflict.
If you spend your time in bed worrying about things, it causes the same issue.
Your mind will not associate your bed with a place of rest. Instead, it will be a place of worry.
When you get into bed and all you’re doing is staring at the ceiling, you need something else
to relax. You’ll need to get out of bed and maybe do some reading in another part of the house.
Doing this will make sure your brain understands the bed is a place only for
sleeping. You should also avoid watching TV, or eating your food while in bed. These activities
won’t help you go to sleep any time soon. If you’re unable to get rid of your anxiety,
you need to take steps towards fixing that. One way would be to set aside some time in
your day to actually worry about things. Maybe you can sit and meditate. Just make
it as far away from your bedtime as you can. Setting aside time to worry tells your brain
that the bed is no place for stress and anxiety. It also helps you relax as soon
as you get into bed. It won’t take too long for you to fall asleep after that.
(Pause) No sleep schedule
One of the biggest issues is not having a proper sleep schedule. It’s too bad that most people
don’t have a set time to go to sleep and wake up. This wreaks havoc on their body’s sleep
cycle. This is especially true when it comes to changes in schedule from weekdays to weekends.
The weekdays are more or less decided by your work schedule. Your weekends on the other hand are more
open. If you’re younger, you’re probably out partying with a bunch of your friends.
You end up sleeping at a much later time. Some people don’t wake up until the middle of the day.
This leaves your day out of order. If this continues on a regular basis,
you end up causing more harm to your sleep cycle. So, even if you’re tired and want to sleep,
your brain may not be ready to relax. (Pause)
Are you looking for a few tips to help you sleep better? Let’s see if we can save you
from tossing and turning the entire night. You need to stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed
at the same time everyday. Limit the difference in your sleep schedule on weeknights and weekends
to no more than one hour. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle.
Unable to fall asleep within 20 minutes of hitting your pillow? Leave your bedroom and
do something relaxing. Like I said, reading is good. You could do this while listening to some
calm music. Once you feel tired, go back to bed. You also need to pay attention to what you eat
or drink before going to sleep. Avoid eating any heavy meals within a couple of hours of
your bedtime. This leaves your stomach in an uncomfortable state if you’re trying to fall
asleep. Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol are a few other things you should avoid at night.
I know some people want a relaxing drink before bed, but this only keeps you up.
Nicotine and caffeine have stimulating effects that take hours to wear off.
If you do end up falling asleep, you’re going to wake up miserable. Also, it’s a misconception that
alcohol helps you sleep. To be honest, a beverage will disrupt your sleep later in the night.
If you want a good night’s rest, make sure your room is comfortable, quiet, and dark. Exposure
to light might make it more challenging to fall asleep. While meditation is a calming activity,
you can also go for a warm bath. This will soothe your body, and have you ready for sleep.
Another thing you need to look out for is daytime naps. If your sleep quality has been lacking,
limit your naptime. If you’re going to have a quick snooze during the day,
be sure to sleep for no more than 30 minutes. Regular exercise can also promote better sleep.
It’s pretty obvious that you need sleep to lead a healthier life. Your body works
wonders when you’ve had the proper amount of rest. Let’s keep the conversation going
with a couple more videos on sleep, shall we? Here’s what you need to know…
Check out What Happens To Your Body When You Go To Sleep. You can also try 12
Proven Tips To Sleep Better At Night! Go ahead, click one. Or better yet,
watch both, and learn more about sleep and how it affects your body. Have any
of the things we just mentioned been affecting your sleep? Let us know in the comments below!